Shower bath water control with additive attachment



Oct. 8, 1963 E. WUKOWITZ 3,106,345

SHOWER BATH WATER CONTROL WITH ADDITIVE ATTACHMENT Filed June 14, 1961 12 .1 1/ A a y ""26 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNE Y5 Oct. 8, 1963 3,106,345

SHOWER BATH WATER CONTROL WITH ADDITIVE ATTACHMENT E. wuKowrrz 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

. Filed June 14, 1961 I IINVENTIOR.

A 7/176 5 mm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,106,345 SHOWER BATH WATER CONTROL WITH. ADDITIVE ATTACHMENT Edward Wulrowitz, 1192 1st Ave., New York, NY. Filed June 14, 1961, Ser. No. 117,118 '7 Claims. (Cl. 239-318) This invention relates to shower baths and more especially to shower baths in which soap, bath oil, or other additives can be used in the water that is discharged from the shower head.

With most shower baths it is necessary to regulate separate hot and cold water valves in order to geta proper mixture at the shower head. Usually it is necessary'to let the hot water run for a while before it reaches its maximum temperature, and then some additional time is required to regulate the ratio of hot and cold water. Where soap or bath oil, or other additive, is to be mixed with the water, it is desirable to avoid waste of the additive by preventing it from mixing with water that flows during this pre-regulation period. Y

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved shower with separate valves for regulating the supply of hot and cold water to the shower head, and with independent means for stopping and starting the adding of soap, bath oil or other additive to the water before'the ratio of hot and cold water is regulated.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the character indicated with an additive in it that can be inserted into a conventional shower bath with no change in the structure except to. move the shower head from itsv water supply pipe and to put it at the discharge end. of the attachment. The attachment screws over the end of the supply pipe in place of the shower head, This and other features make the invention inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to use. i

Other objects; features and advantagesof the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds:

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, invwhich like reference characters indicate corresponding. parts in all the views: a

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a shower bath with the wall of the shower. stall shown in section for clearer illustration;

FTGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged view, mostly in section, showing the principalpart of the apparatus. illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FlGURES 3 and 4 are sectional views taken onthe lines 33 and 4-4, respectively of FIGURE 2;

FTGURE 5 is a h agmentar-y, sectional View showing a modified form of the invention;

FIGURES 5A,. 5B, 5C are, diagrammatic views showing different positions whichmay be occupied by the valve shown in FIGURES;

FIGURE .6 is a top view of the structure shown in FIGURE 5 and FTGURE 7 is an exploded view showing the valve and the operating handle removed from the other structure of FEGURES 5 and 6.

FIGURE l shows a shower bath including a shower stall 1 8 having side walls 11 and 12, the walls 12 being shown in section. A main watersupply conduit 14 extends throughthe wall 12. Water is supplied to this main conduit 14 from a cold water supply conduit 16 and a 3,196,345 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 hot water supply conduit 18 which come together at a mixing valve 20 having valve operating handles 21 and 22. These conduits and the mixing valve 20 are shown located behind the wall 10 with only the handles 21 and 22 located in the shower stall and connected with the mixing valve by stems which extend through the wall. In some shower installations the mixing valve and the hot and cold water conduits are located in the stall. It is common practice to have them on the same wall as that through which the main supply conduit 14 passes; but in the drawing they are shown on another wall for clearer illustration. It will be understood that these arrangements can be changed and that different kinds of mixing valves can be used, the valve 20 being merely representative of devices for supplying hot and cold water in controlled ratios.

The main supply conduit 14 has a threaded end26 and ordinarily a shower head 28 is screwed over this threaded end 26, the shower head having a threaded socket 39 which fits the threads on the end 26 of the main supply conduit.

This invention includes an attachment 34 consisting of a sectionof conduit 36 having its upper end supplied with inside threads, similar to those in the shower head socket 3t), and which are screwed over the threaded end 26 of the main supply conduit 14. At its lower or downstream end, the section of conduit 36 has threads similar to those on the end 26 of the main supply conduit and the shower head 23 is screwed over these threads in the same way it was previously screwed over the threads at the end of the main supply conduit 14.

The attachment 34 also includes a downwardly extending pipe portion 40 containing a valve which is regulated by a handle 42 to control the rate of flow of liquid through the pipe portion 49 from a container 44. There is a detachable connection 46 for securing the container 44 to the lower end of the pipe portion 40.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the internal construction of the apparatus illustrated in FIG- URE l. The conduit section 36 has a bushing 50 near its upper end. A ball check valve 52 closes an opening through the bushing 50 and is urged into its closed position by a spring 54, which seats against inwardly extending portions of legs 56 extending downwardly from the bushing 50. This check valve 52 prevents back flow of water from the section of conduit 36, but permits water to flow from the main supply conduit 14 into the section of conduit 36.

Further down in the section 36 there is an aspirator 6%) having a suction pipe 62 extending downwardly into the pipe portion 40. A bushing 64 supports the aspirator 60 within the attachment and this bushing 64 may be formed by pouring molten lead or solder or similar molten material into the space between the suction pipe 62 and the inside wall of the pipe portion 40.

Thehandle 42 is attached to the end of a shaft 68 which extends through the pipe portion 40 and which turns in bearings 70 secured to opposite sides of the pipe portion. Within the pipe portion 40, there is'a butterfly valve 72 attached to the shaft 63 and movable as a unit with the shaft.

When the butterfly valve 72 is located in the position shown in FIGURE 2, with its plane in line with the longitudinal axis of the pipe portion 40, this valve 72 offers a minimum resistance to the flow of liquid through the pipe portion 40 to the aspirator 60. The handle 42 can be turned into any selected position about the axis of the shaft 68, and can be turned to move the butterfly valve '72 into a position at right angles to that shown in FIGURE 2; and in such a position the butterfly valve 72 substantially closes the interior cross section of the pipe portion 40 and limits the suction exerted by the aspirator 60 to such a low value that no liquid can be drawn up into the pipe portion by the aspirator.

The butterfly valve 72 is a simple and efiective valve for shutting off flow of liquid from the container 44 to the aspirator 60, and it has the advantage of being economical to construct and simple to use. It will be understood, however, that this valve 72 is merely representative of shut off valve which can be regulated to control the flow and the rate of flow of liquid from the container 44. The shaft 68 preferably fits tightly in the bearing 70 so that the handle 42 will remain in any set position. If these bearings supply insufficient friction for this purpose, any well known expedient can be used for increasing the friction, such as a stuffing box or a brake.

The detachable connection 46 consists of a threaded cover 76 which screws over the upper end of the container 44. This detachable connection includes also a stem portion 78 which projects upwardly into the pipe portion of the attachment and which is bonded to the inside of the pipe portion or otherwise connected to form a unitary construction. There is preferably a gasket 80 within the cover 76 and the top lip 82 of the container 44 bears against this gasket 80 when the container is screwed tightly into the cover 76.

This prevents the container 44 from coming unscrewed as the result of any vibration which may be set up by the flow of fluid around the aspirator 60; but the connection is not air tight and as liquid is drawn from the container 44 it is possible for air to leak into the container to prevent the formation of a vacuum over the liquid. If the gasket 80 is so soft as to prevent ready leakage of air into the container, a vent opening 86 is provided through the cover 76.

A suction tube 90 extends through the stem 78 and reaches substantially to the bottom of the container 44. In the construction shown, this tube 90 is straight since the bottom of the container 44 is flat; but where the bottom of the container has a crown or the attachment is constructed so that the container 44 is on a slope when in operative position, then the tube 90 extends to the lowest part of the container 44.

The aspirator 60 is preferably formed by shaping the upper end of the tube 62. This is best shown in FIG- URE 3, where the tube is slotted at the locations 92. and the portion of the tube downstream from these slot locations 92 is bent inwardly to a V cross section, which is clearly shown in FIGURE 3. The width of the V is substantially less than the diameter of the tube and the downstream end of the V forms a trailing edge 94 for the aspirator. While this construction provides an eflicient and inexpensive aspirator, it will be understood that in the broader aspects of the invention it is merely representative of aspirators for drawing liquid up through the tube 62 in response to the flow of water through the conduit section 36.

In the operation of the invention, the container 44, containing bath oil, soap, or any other additive it is desired to mix with the water, is screwed into the detachable connection 46. The valve 72 is closed. The valve handles 21 and 22 are manipulated to obtain the desired water temperature by regulating the ratio of hot to cold water, and when the temperature of the water coming from the shower head 28 is at the desired value, the handle 42 is operated to open the valve 72 as far as necessary to obtain the desired amount of additive from the container 44.

If the container 44 is used for supplying soap to the shower water, then the valve 72 will be closed to permit the final water from the shower head to be clear water for rinsing off the soap. If the container 44 is used for bath oil, then ordinarily the valve 72 is left open during the entire time that a person is taking a shower.

From the description of the apparatus, as shown in the drawing, it will be apparent that this invention can be used with existing shower baths and that no change in the structure is necessary other than the removal of the shower head 28 from the main supply conduit 14, and the insertion of the attachment 34 between the shower head 28 and the main supply conduit 14.

FIGURE 5 shows a modified construction. In this construction there is a check valve in the housing 112. The housing has'a flange 114 at its upper end which abuts against the end face of the main supply conduit 14. A nut 116 threads over the threaded end 26 of the main conduit 24 and has an inwardly extending ridge which clamps the flange 114 against the end of the main conduit 14.

The lower end of the housing 112 has threads 120 which are preferably identical with the threaded end 26 of the main supply conduit. An attachment 134 screws over the threads 120. The lower end of the housing 112 abuts against a shoulder at the lower end of the threads 120, and a washer 136 may be clamped between the housing 1'12 and the shoulder to prevent leakage.

Within the attachment 134, and in line with the housing 112, there is a conduit 138 having a venturi section 140. At the lower end of the attachment 134 there are threads 142 corresponding to the threads 26 of the main supply conduit 14. The shower head is screwed on these threads 142 as explained in connection with the other forms of the invention.

A skirt extends downwardly from the attachment 134 and this skirt has threads 152 for receiving complementary threads of a container 154 which corresponds with the container 44 of FIGURES 1 and 2. There are a number of passages extending through the body of the attachment 134 for establishing communication with the container 154 and there is a valve for controlling these passages.

In the construction shown, the valve 160 is a plugtype valve which rotates in a bore in the body of the attachment 134. There is a passage 1612i extending through the valve 160, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 7.

When the valve 160 is in the position shown in FIG- URE 5, the passage 162 establishes communication between a tributary conduit or passage 164, leading from the throat of the venturi section 140, and a passage 166 which communicates with a pick-up tube 168. When water is flowing through the venturi section 140, the suction causes liquid from the container 154 to be drawn up through the pick-up tube 168, passages 166, 162 and 164 to mix with the water in the conduit 138 as previously described in connection with the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1-4.

From the position shown in FIGURE 5, the valve 160 can be moved into the position shown in FIGURE 5A. This puts the tributary conduit or passages 164 in communication with a vent passage 170 which opens into the ambient atmosphere. It will be seen in FIGURE 5, that the passage 164 extends for approximately 45 around the circumference of the valve 160 so that movement of the valve 160 counter-clockwise, from its FIGURE 5 position to the FIGURE 5A position leaves the passage 162 in communication with the passage 162 in the valve 160.

When water is flowing through the venturi section 140, with the valve 160 in its FIGURE 5A position, the suction created draws air through the passages 170, 162, and 164 to aerate the water flowing through the conduit 138 on its way to the shower head.

There is a cross drilling 172 which puts the vent passage 170 in communication with the container 154 regardless of the position of the valve 160. Thus air can always enter the container 154 to replace liquid drawn from the container through the pick-up tube 168.

From the position shown in FIGURE 5A, the valve 160 can be turned clockwise into the position shown in FIG- U'RE 5B. When in this position an upper passage 174 is put into communication with a lower passage 176 so that water from the conduit 138 can flow through the passage 174, valve passage 162 and lower passage 176 into the container 154 to dilute a concentrate, or to add water to a granular mass, in the container in order to prepare the contents of the container for use.

The valve 160 can be turned to the position shown in FIGURE 50 to shut oti all communication between the conduit 138 and the container 154 or vent passage 170. When the valve 160 is in this FIGURE 5C position, the attachment 134 has no effect upon the water that is supplied to the shower head through the conduit 138.

In order to regulate the rate of flow through the pickup tube 168 and through the passages 166, 162 and 164 to the water conduit 138, there is a metering screw 180 threaded into the body of the attachment 134 and extending into the passage 166. This metering screw 1 80 has a knob 182 at its outer end for turning the screw to adjust the extent to which the inner end of the screw 180 obstructs the cross section of the passage 166.

FIGURES '6 and 7 show the construction of the valve 160. It includes a plug 186 having a square shank 188 extending from one end, and a threaded socket 190 in the other end of the plug. A handle 192 has an opening 194 that fits the square shank 188, and the handle 192 is held in assembled relation with the plug 186 by a screw 196 that threads into the shank 188. The hub of the handle i192 is larger than the plug .186 and abuts against the side of the body of the attachment 134 to prevent axial displacement of the plug 186 in one direction.

A washer 198 abuts against the side of the body of the attachment at the other end of the plug to prevent axial displacement of the plug 186 in the other direction. A screw 200 threads into the socket 192 in the end of the stud 190 and holds the washer in its assembled relation with the other valve structure. It will be understood that these connections are merely representative of detachable fastening means for holding the valve plug 186 in position and that other fastenings can be used.

The preferred embodiments ofthe invention have been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in a shower bath of a shower head, a main conduit extending on a slope downward into the shower head and through which water is supplied to the shower head, hot and cold water pipes communicating with said main conduit, valve means connected with and controlling flow of water through said pipes, the valve means being operable into different positions to regulate the ratio of hot to cold water flowing from the hot and cold water pipes into said main conduit, a container for an additive, a tributary conduit through which the container connects with the main conduit, adjustable valve means in the tributary conduit for controlling the rate at which additive flows through the tributary conduit to the main conduit, and a quick shut-0d valve in the tributary conduit and independent of said adjustable valve means for controlling flow through the tributary conduit, said shut-off valve being movable between fully open and closed positions with a fractional turn of the valve whereby the supplying of additive can be shut off while the temperature of the water to the main conduit is being adjusted by said valve means and can be turned on and ofi conveniently and quickly.

2. The combination described in claim 11 and in which the means for controlling the rate at which the additive flows through the tributary conduit is a needle valve separate from the quick ShUtrOfi valve.

3. An additive attachment for a shower bath including a main conduit through which water flows to a shower head, a tributary conduit connecting withthe main conduit and through which an additive is supplied to the water flowing through the main conduit, an additive container at the end of the tributary conduit remote from the main conduit, a suction tube communicating with the tributary conduit and extending to a low level in the additive container, a third conduit through which the additive container communicates with the main conduit at a different location from the tributary conduit, and valve means in the tributary and third conduits and movable between two positions in one of which the tributary conduit is open and the third conduit is closed and in the other of which the tributary conduit is closed and the third conduit is open.

4. The additive attachment for a shower bath as described in claim 3 and characterized by an aspirator in the main conduit in position to exert suction on the tributary conduit to draw liquid up through the suction tube, and a needle valve in the tributary conduit adjustable to control the nate of flow of the liquid-from the suction tube.

5. An additive attachment for a shower bath including a main conduit through which water flows to a shower head, a tributary conduit connecting with the main conduit and through which an additive is supplied to the water flowing through the main conduit, an additive container at the end of the tributary conduit remote from the main conduit, a suction tube communicating with the tributary conduit for communicating with the tributary conduit and extending to a low level in the additive container, a third conduit through which the additive container communicates with the main conduit at a different location from the tributary conduit, and valve means in the tributary and third conduits and movable between two positions in one of which the tributary conduit is open and the third conduit closed and in the other of which the tributary conduit is closed and the third conduit is open, an aspirator in the main conduit in position to exert suction on the tributary conduit to draw liquid up through the suction tube, an air inlet passage opening into the ambient atmosphere, and valve means in the tributary conduit and in the air passage, the valve means having one position in which it puts the air inlet in communication with the aspirator and shuts off the suction tube from communication with the main conduit, and the valve means having another position in which it closes the air passage and opens the tributary conduit for communication of the suction tube with the aspirator.

6. The additive attachment for a shower bath described in claim 3 and characterized by an air inlet passage opening into the ambient atmosphere and leading to the tributary conduit, and an aspirator in the main conduit at the discharge end of the tributary conduit, the valve means also controlling said air inlet passage and being movable into position to shut off the. tributary passage from the suction tube and to connect the aspirator with said air inlet passage.

7. The combination in a shower bath of a shower head, a main conduit etxending to the shower head and through which water is supplied to the shower head, an aspirator in said main conduit and operated by the flow of water through said main conduit to the shower head, a tributary conduit extending in a substantially vertical direction downward from the aspirator and through which fluid is drawn by said aspirator, hot and cold water pipes communicating with said main conduit, valve means connected with and controlling flow of water through said pipes, the valve means being operable into diil'erent positions to regulate the ratio of hot to cold water flowing from the hot and cold water pipes into said main conduit, a shut-off valve in the tributary conduit and movable between fully open and fully closed position within a single turn of said valve for closing said tributary conduit while an operator adjusts said valve means for a desired water temperature, a socket at the lower end of the tributary conduit, a container with an upper end that fits into the socket, complementary threads on the socket and container, a suction tube extending downwardly from the tributary conduit, through the socket and into the container and reaching to the lower part of the interior of the container, and an air inlet passage from the ambient atmosphere into the socket in position to supply air to the container to replace liquid that is withdrawn from the container through the tributary conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pike Aug. 21, 1928 McPherson Oct. 27, 1936 Fox Apr. 20, 1943 Richards Jan. 23, 1951 Pollock et a1 Jan. 18, 1955 Dean Apr. 16, 1957 Targosh et a1 July 23, 1957 McNair Oct. 14, 1958 Jay Dec. 20, 1960 

3. AN ADDITIVE ATTACHMENT FOR A SHOWER BATH INCLUDING A MAIN CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH WATER FLOWS TO A SHOWER HEAD, A TRIBUTARY CONDUIT CONNECTING WITH THE MAIN CONDUIT AND THROUGH WHICH AN ADDITIVE IS SUPPLIED TO THE WATER FLOWING THROUGH THE MAIN CONDUIT, AN ADDITIVE CONTAINER AT THE END OF THE TRIBUTARY CONDUIT REMOTE FROM THE MAIN CONDUIT, A SUCTION TUBE COMUNICATING WITH THE TRIBUTARY CONDUIT AND EXTENDING TO A LOW LEVEL IN THE ADDITIVE CONTAINER, A THIRD CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH THE ADDITIVE CONTAINER COMMUNICATES WITH THE MAIN CONDUIT AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION FROM THE TRIBUTARY CONDUIT, AND VALVE MEANS 